Other than arhar, market prices of major pulses remained below MSP in country

Chandigarh: As the Centre has decided to purchase pulses through state agencies at the minimum support price (MSP) following deliberations with the leaders of several farmer unions, market rates of major pulses, barring tur/arhar (pigeon pea), have remained below the support price in the country in the previous few marketing seasons. The Centre announces MSP for five pulses — tur/arhar, moong (green gram), urad (black gram), masur (lentil) and chana (gram and chickpea).

Tur/arhar, moong and urad are the kharif (summer-sown) pulses while masur and chana are the rabi (winter-sown) crops. India is the biggest importer of pulses and grower of pulses. October-September period is considered for the kharif marketing season (KMS) and April-March is the rabi marketing season (RMS).

In its ‘Price Policy for Kharif Crops: The Marketing Season 2023-24’, while examining the price trends and procurement in the country, the Commission for Agricultural Costs of Prices (CACP) has stated that during the KMS 2018-19 and 2019-20, market prices of tur/arhar remained below the MSP. “Further, during KMS 2021-22, market prices have remained below the MSP. However, market prices have hovered around the MSP during KMS 2022-23. During the latter part of KMS 2022-23, market prices went above the MSP,” it stated. During KMS 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 market prices of moong remained below the MSP. CACP observed, “Market prices have, however, shown an increasing trend during KMS 2022-23.”

For urad, the commission mentioned, “During KMS 2018-19 and KMS 2019-20, market prices of urad have remained below the MSP. During KMS 2021-22, market prices were below the MSP and exhibited a structural downtrend. During KMS 2022-23, market prices showed an increasing trend but remained below the MSP.”

In its ‘Price Policy for Rabi Crops: Marketing Season 2024-25’, CACP has observed that during RMS 2021-22, market prices of chana showed an increasing trend and were closer to the MSP. “However, the market prices showed a decreasing trend from June 2021. During RMS 2022-23, market prices of gram continued to exhibit a declining trend. However, during RMS 2023-24, market prices improved but remained below the MSP,” the commission said.

For masur, CACP said though market prices showed an increasing trend since RMS 2019-20, the prices reported were lower than the MSP till the end of the marketing season 2019-20. It observed, “During RMS 2020-21, since April 2020, prices of lentil have exhibited an increasing trend and went above the MSP. Market prices continued to remain above the MSP during RMS 2021-22, RMS 2022-23 and RMS 2023-24. However, in the current marketing season, market prices have dipped and hovered close to the MSP.”

Commenting on the Centre’s proposal to procure pulses at MSP, Professor K S Aulakh, former vice-chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, said, “It will encourage crop diversification. Farmers will shift from paddy if they get higher returns from pulses. Per unit losses due to lower returns by switching from paddy can be offset by lower input costs. Growing pulses can save groundwater and prevent crop residue burning.”

Prof Aulakh said growing more pulses will also help reduce India’s dependence on imports. “We can become self-sufficient in pulses. The govt should think of region-specific cultivation of pulses and plan the procurement accordingly,” he said.


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